Daily Current Affairs and GK Updates (3rd November, 2026)

National News / राष्ट्रीय समाचार

Centre Notifies VB-G RAM G Grievance Rules with 15-Day Resolution Deadline

• The Ministry of Rural Development notified the VB-G RAM G Grievance Redressal Rules, 2026, on 2 November 2026.

• The rules establish a three-tier grievance mechanism at gram panchayat, block and district levels.

• Complaints can be submitted in person, by post, telephone or through digital platforms.

• All complaints must be registered and acknowledged with a unique registration number.

• Enquiries must be completed within seven working days, and grievances resolved within 15 days.

• The framework provides escalation, digital tracking and an appeal mechanism for unresolved complaints.

Nandan Nilekani-Led Examination Reform Task Force Gets Extension Until January 2027

• The Central Government extended the six-member examination reform task force’s tenure until January 2027.

• The task force is led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani.

• It was established in July 2026 following student protests over examination irregularities and paper leaks.

• The committee has received more than 50,000 suggestions from students, parents, teachers and stakeholders.

• Members include former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath, former IB Director Tapan Deka and IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti.

• The Centre announced that NEET will shift to Computer-Based Test mode from 2027.

International Maize Conference 2026 Begins in Hyderabad with 75 MT Production Target

• The first International Maize Conference 2026 began on 2 November at JD Convention Centre, Hyderabad.

• Its theme is “Maize Revolution for Food, Feed, Fodder, Fuel and Sustainability” (M4FS).

• The three-day conference focuses on maize research, productivity and sustainable value chains.

• India’s maize production currently stands at approximately 55 million tonnes.

• ICAR Director General Dr. M. L. Jat set a target of 75 million tonnes over the next decade.

• ICAR highlighted the development of 329 maize hybrids and advocated a 5F approach that includes Farmers.

Banking News / बैंकिंग समाचार

EPFO Launches WhatsApp Services for PF Balance and Passbook Access

• EPFO launched WhatsApp-based services on 1 November 2026 for subscribers.

• Users can check PF balances, access passbook information and view their latest five transactions.

• Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya introduced the service during EPFO’s 74th Foundation Day.

• The service also provides assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY).

• EPFO introduced automatic settlement of eligible Aadhaar-verified inoperative accounts with balances up to ₹1,000.

• Approximately one lakh accounts involving ₹5 crore are expected to benefit; EPFO manages a retirement corpus of around ₹32 trillion.

Economy News / अर्थव्यवस्था समाचार

India Manufacturing PMI Eases to 54.7 in October 2026

• India’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) declined to 54.7 in October 2026 from 55.1 in September.

• The index was compiled by S&P Global for HSBC.

• Despite the decline, the PMI remained above 50 points, indicating continued manufacturing expansion.

• New export orders registered their fastest growth in six months.

• Input cost inflation declined to its lowest level since February 2026.

• Selling price increases reached a nearly four-year low, while factory employment rose for the second consecutive month.

Appointments News / नियुक्ति समाचार

Gopal Vittal Re-elected as GSMA Chairperson for 2027-2028 Term

• Bharti Airtel Executive Chairman Gopal Vittal was re-elected GSMA Board Chairperson on 2 November 2026.

• His new term will cover 2027–2028.

• Vittal has served on the GSMA Board for 10 years and has been chairperson since 2025.

• Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle and MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita were elected Deputy Chairpersons.

• GSMA represents over 1,000 mobile operators and businesses worldwide.

• Under Vittal’s leadership, priorities include telecom security, high-performance networks, AI and digital communications.

Gopal Vittal Re-elected GSMA Chairperson for Second Term Until 2028

• Gopal Vittal was re-elected Chairperson of the GSM Association (GSMA) Board on 2 November 2026.

• His second term will extend until December 2028.

• Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle was elected co-Deputy Chairperson.

• MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita was re-elected Deputy Chairperson.

• Vittal has been associated with the GSMA Board for 10 years and served as chairperson since 2025.

• His priorities include telecom security, advanced mobile networks, AI, digital connectivity and customer protection.

Deepali Masirkar Takes Charge as ONGC Executive Director (Chief Security)

• Deepali Masirkar, a 2008-batch IPS officer, assumed charge as ONGC Executive Director (Chief Security) on 28 October 2026.

• She secured All India Rank 384 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination in her first attempt.

• She joined the Nagaland cadre and served as DIG in Nagaland and DCP in Nagpur and Mumbai.

• She held senior assignments at the Election Commission of India and the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

• Her educational qualifications include BSc and LLB degrees.

• She also holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.

Awards News / पुरस्कार समाचार

Two Sundarbans Childcare Workers Honoured at India Childcare Champion Awards

• Manju Pradhan and Sonamoni Halder received recognition at the India Childcare Champion Awards 2026.

• They are childcare workers associated with CINI’s KAVACH initiative in West Bengal’s Sundarbans.

• They were among 14 care workers honoured for contributions to child safety and early childhood development.

• The awards were organised by FORCES in partnership with the Global Alliance for Care and UN Women India.

• The ceremony took place in New Delhi.

• The awards marked the International Day of Care and Support, observed annually on 29 October.

Mothers of Courage Wins UN SDG Action Award 2026 for Creativity

• The documentary Mothers of Courage won the UN SDG Action Award 2026 in the Creativity category.

• It highlights a women-led movement promoting girls’ education and preventing child marriage.

• Directed by Vandana R Jayakumar, it was produced by Butterfly Effect Media.

• The documentary showcases the grassroots Shikshagraha movement across rural India.

• The campaign has mobilised over 11.9 lakh people and organised 51,078+ Shiksha Chaupals since October 2024.

• It was selected from more than 7,000 entries across 190 countries and territories.

Defence News / रक्षा समाचार

Tiger Triumph 2026: India-US Tri-Service HADR Exercise Begins in Visakhapatnam

• The fifth edition of Tiger Triumph 2026 commenced on 2 November at Visakhapatnam.

• It is a bilateral India-US tri-service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise.

• This edition is being conducted as a Tabletop Exercise (TTX).

• Indian participation includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Forces and NDRF.

• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is participating for the first time in this edition.

• Rear Admirals Vishal Bishnoi and Joaquin J. Martinez de Pinillos are leading the Indian and US delegations, respectively.

India Hosts Inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise in Andaman Islands

• India hosted the inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise from 30 October to 3 November 2026.

• The exercise took place in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• All seven BIMSTEC members participated: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

• It aims to strengthen maritime cooperation, interoperability and maritime domain awareness.

• The programme includes a three-day tabletop exercise and a two-day harbour phase.

• BIMSTEC was established in 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration, and India leads its Security cooperation sector.

Defence Ministry Signs ₹53,866 Crore Contracts for Eight Navy Corvettes

• The Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth ₹53,866.50 crore on 2 November 2026.

• The contracts cover the construction of eight Next Generation Corvettes for the Indian Navy.

• GRSE will build five ships, while Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) will construct three.

• The indigenously designed warships will feature advanced weapons, missiles and sensors.

• The project will enhance anti-submarine warfare, coastal defence and maritime surveillance.

• It is expected to generate 72 lakh person-days at shipyards and 460 lakh person-days in ancillary industries and MSMEs.

Science & Tech News / विज्ञान एवं प्रौद्योगिकी समाचार

IISc Develops 3D-Printed Device to Study Drug Penetration in Tumours

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) developed a low-cost 3D-printed device to study drug penetration in solid tumours.

• The device uses the Cells-in-Gel-in-Paper (CiGiP) model to recreate tumour conditions.

• It simulates oxygen- and nutrient-deprived environments found in deeper tumour regions.

• Experiments using breast cancer cells showed declining cell survival and doxorubicin penetration across eight layers.

• Researchers observed increased HIF-1alpha expression, indicating hypoxia in deeper layers.

• Published in Analytical Methods in 2026, the study could support drug screening and cancer treatment research.

Sports News / खेल समाचार

Glenn Maxwell Retires from International Cricket After 14-Year Career

• Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell announced his international cricket retirement on 2 November 2026.

• His international career spanned approximately 14 years.

• He played 286 international matches, scoring 7,226 runs and taking 136 wickets.

• Maxwell was part of Australia’s 2015 and 2023 ODI World Cup-winning teams and the 2021 T20 World Cup-winning squad.

• He scored an unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

• He will continue playing franchise T20 cricket, including the Big Bash League.

Prema Rawat Sets Women’s T20 Record with Fastest Half-Century

• Uttarakhand cricketer Prema Rawat recorded the fastest half-century in women’s T20 cricket on 2 November 2026.

• She scored an unbeaten 50 off 14 balls against Hyderabad in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy.

• Her innings included three fours and six sixes.

• She surpassed the previous 15-ball record held jointly by Fatima Sana, Marie Kelly and Laura Harris.

• Uttarakhand scored 187/2 and defeated Hyderabad by 89 runs.

• Rawat also took two wickets for 12 runs in four overs and won Player of the Match.

Dhinidhi Desinghu Becomes First Indian Swimmer to Win Youth Olympic Medal

• Dhinidhi Desinghu, a 16-year-old swimmer from Bengaluru, won bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle at Dakar 2026.

• She clocked 56.27 seconds, setting a national record.

• She became the first Indian swimmer to win a Youth Olympic medal.

• She also secured India’s first medal at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

• Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic won gold, while New Zealand’s Alyssa Lawson secured silver.

• Desinghu became the first Indian female swimmer to reach a Youth Olympic swimming final.

India Tops Tammer Tournament 2026 Medal Standings with Fourteen Medals

• India topped the medal standings at the Tammer Tournament 2026 in Tampere, Finland.

• The Indian contingent won 14 medals: four gold, two silver and eight bronze.

• Gold medallists included Aarti Dhariyal, Ankushita Boro, Arundhati Chaudhary and Pawan Bartwal.

• Mohammed Hussamuddin and Jaismine Lamboria won silver medals.

• Eight other Indian boxers secured bronze medals.

• The annual international boxing tournament has been organised by the Tampere Boxing Association since 1977.

Important Days News / महत्वपूर्ण दिवस समाचार

International Day for Biosphere Reserves Highlights Biodiversity Conservation

• The International Day for Biosphere Reserves is observed annually on 3 November.

• UNESCO proclaimed the observance in 2021, and it was first celebrated in 2022.

• Biosphere reserves function under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, launched in 1971.

• They balance ecosystem conservation with sustainable livelihoods.

• Their three interconnected functions are conservation, development and logistic support.

• As of June 2026, UNESCO’s World Network included 797 sites across 145 countries; India has 18 notified reserves, 13 recognised by UNESCO.

World Jellyfish Day Highlights Marine Biodiversity and Ecological Importance

• World Jellyfish Day is observed annually on 3 November.

• The day raises awareness about jellyfish diversity, marine ecosystems and conservation.

• Jellyfish are ancient marine invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria.

• They have existed for at least 500 million years.

• Their bodies contain approximately 95% water and lack a brain, heart and blood.

• They contribute to marine food webs and are used in scientific research through Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP).

Obituaries News / निधन समाचार

William Nordhaus, Nobel-Winning Climate Economist, Dies at 85

• American economist William D. Nordhaus died on 30 October 2026 at the age of 85.

• He shared the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences with Paul Romer.

• His work integrated climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis.

• He developed the Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy (DICE) model.

• Nordhaus advocated carbon pricing and proposed a climate club for international emissions-reduction cooperation.

• A Yale University professor since 1967, he also served on President Jimmy Carter’s Council of Economic Advisers and led the American Economic Association.

Miscellaneous News / विविध समाचार

Azim Premji Foundation Launches Social Startups Programme for Grassroots Organisations

• The Azim Premji Foundation launched the Social Startups Programme to support grassroots civil society organisations.

• It aims to help development professionals establish organisations in underserved communities.

• The first cohort will select 100 participants from Odisha, Northeast India, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bengaluru Urban.

• Applicants must be below 40 years, hold a graduate degree and have at least three years of development-sector experience.

• Applications are open from 1 November to 31 December 2026.

• Selected participants will receive an eight-month seeding phase from 1 April 2027, with an opportunity for a two-year seed grant after evaluation.